Apparatus for producing zinc-dust.



No. 727,297. I PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

G; G. GONVE R S & A. B. DB SAULLES.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ZINC DUST.

APPLIOATION rum) SEPT. 14, 1898. no MODEL. I 2 s'HEn'rs-smm 1.

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No. 727,297. PATENTED MAY 5, 19,03.

G. G. GONVERS & A. B. DE SAULLES. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ZINC DUST.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1898.

no MODEL. 2 sums-sum: 2.

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- Patented May 5, 1903.

GEORGE e. CONVERS AND ARTHUR B. DE SAULLES, or SOUTH BETHLEHEM,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUC ING ZINC-DUST.

SPEUIFIGATION forming-part of Letterslifatent No. "(27,297, datedlVfay 5, 1 903. Application filed September 14 1898. Serial l\Io. 690,913. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, GEORGE Gr. CONVERS and ARTHUR B. DE SAULLES, citizens of the United States, residing in South Bethlehem,

in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusefor Producing Zinc-Dust; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact dero scription of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In an application of even date herewith, Serial No. 690,911,we have described a method 15 of obtaining from zinc-bearing material me tallic zinc in the finely-divided condition known as zinc-dust or blue powder and have shown therein two different forms of ap paratus adapted for the practice of said method. The present application relates generally to said apparatus, and more specifically to one of the forms thereof. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the apparatus, partly'in section and partly in elevation. Fig. 2 represents a vertical sectional view thereof.

Similar letters of referenceindicate similar;

being to distribute the products ofcombu'stion;

about the sides of the retorts and to prevent 40 the retort-bottoms from being subjected to too high a heat. The retorts n, as shown,

rest upon refractory tiles or bricks built up from the base A of the furnacean'd are arranged at different heights in series, as shown.

43 Above the retort-chamber is provided with the arch B, and the entire furnace is strengthened and bonded by buokstays and crossties, as shown.

The retorts n have each an exit-opening m for the zinc-vapors and are charged from the opposite end, which is shown in Fig. 2 as luted up. Thecorresponding wall of the furnace is removable in orderto obtain access to the retorts'and'cannons.

Each double vertical series of retorts cominunicates through the vapor-exit openings m with arco'rresponding collecting-chamber GQforming part of the furnace structure and immediately adjacent-toxthe muffles, so that the muflies open directly into the collector, '.thereby avoiding danger of intermediate liquefaction of the zinc-vapors before they have .had an opportunity to expand within the chamber. Each chamber is provided in itsfront Wall with a series of openings adapted to be closed by slides orvalves 2 said openings being located opposite the retort-openings m. At the lower portion is located an opening closed by aslide 2 for removing thezinc-dust resulting from the operation,

and at the top is located a safety-Valve in the form of a slip-cover or lid 00*, having a small r vent-hole n, as shown, of about one inch in diameter.

' .The retorts or muffles are charged with the zinc-bearing material from the rear end 2'. cf, from the end opposite to that at which *the: collectors are located. At the outset small sheet-iron cones (one of which is indicatedin dotted lines inFig. 2) are connected to the retort openings for the purpose of catching the oxid of zinc that-is given off at the beginning of the operation. As soon as the color of the deposit at the outer end of the sheet-iron cones indicates the formation of zinc-dust the cones are removed and slides -z are closed. The distillation is then continued until the fumes escaping through the vent-holes n at the top of the collectors begin to show again the presence of oxid of zinc. 9c The sheet-iron cones or prolongs are thereupon again placed in communication with the retorts, so as to catch,- as in the first instance, the oxid of zinc that is beingformed, thereby preventing its admixture with the zinc-dust already collected. Therear end of the retorts or muffles are then opened, the spent charge is withdrawn, and the muffles are freshly charged. The operation is then repeated, although in general the zinc-dust rco from each charge is removed from the collector before the fresh charge begins to distil.

The construction of apparatus described has the advantage of dispensing with any intermediate joint between the retort exit-openings m and the collecting-chamber, and therefore absolutely insures against the possibility we claim is-- 1. An apparatus for the recovery of zinc dust or blue powder, comprising a plurality of mufiies arranged at different heights, a furnace for heating the same externally, and an expansion-chamber common to the series, the rear wall of the expansion-chamber being formed by the front wall of the combustionchamber, thereby providing direct and jointless communication between the muffles and expansion-chamber, said expansion-chamber being of such capacity relatively to the retort-s as to immediately expandrand solidify the zinc-vapors into zinc-dust; substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for the recovery of zincdust or blue powder, comprising a plurality of muffles arranged at different heights, a furnace for heating the same externally, and an expansion-chamber common to the series, the rear wall of the expansion-chamber being formed by the front wall of the combustionchamber, thereby providing direct and jointless communication between the mufiies and expansion-chamber, said expansion-chamber being of such capacity relatively to the retorts as to immediately expand and solidify the zinc-vapors into zinc-dust, a series of openings in the front wall of the expansion-chamber opposite the muffle-exit openings and doors .or slides for said openings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE G. GONVERS. ARTHUR B. DE SAULLES. Witnesses:

OsWIN W. SHELLY, [EDWARD J. MALLOY. 

